


Radiance

by TheAnxious_Fem



Category: Original Work
Genre: Adventure, F/F, F/M, M/M, Romance, Space Elves, Space fight, scifi, tw death, tw mentions of anxiety, tw mentions of rape, young adult fiction
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-11-10
Updated: 2020-09-26
Packaged: 2021-01-27 06:39:49
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 7
Words: 18,296
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21387763
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TheAnxious_Fem/pseuds/TheAnxious_Fem
Summary: The end is more than nigh.Lydaleigh Mason- Lyda, for short- is about to embark on a journey across the cosmos. Orphaned at a young age, and tactically trained in combat and engineering, this 23 year old isn't far too different from her peers in the year 2602.Earth has been decimated by ever growing tides, shrinking the population down to mere millions of what had once been 50 billion as the moon makes its way closer and closer to the planet. The mission is clear- Humanity must evacuate.Lyda's expertise in engineering and ability to remain cool under pressure mean she is primed and ready for leadership, as humanity heads off planet to a new land; Alphaterra 4.Can an unlikely bond with an alien prince mean smooth sailing for her people,  or will it only serve to complicate things?What new struggles await Lyda and her people when they land, on Alphatera 4?
Relationships: Darmah/Erik, Lydaleigh/Vyrik
Kudos: 1





	1. L1: Anxious Farewell

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> **Edited/ more detail**  
Lyda celebrates her last few days on earth with her friends and fellow leaders and prepares to depart.

_ “Flight 6162 of the GlobalRight Space-Savior excursion will launch in two week’s time, _ ” 

The disparaged newscaster spoke to the camera, not even bothering to try and fake his usual smile.

“ _ All of those under thirty years of age, as per the Global Accords of 2514, will board their respective ships and be off-planet by sun down in two weeks. Those of us left behind have been given our Outs, respectively, and will begin the Great Purging after the GlobalRight Party Night. I’ve had the absolute pleasure to serve this community for the last twenty-two years, and am glad to know the future of humanity is in good hands. _ ” 

A lone tear slid down his cheek.

The usually-perky blonde he sat next to stood up and quickly walked out of frame with a barely-stifled sob. 

Lydaleigh Mason- Lyda for short- nodded in acceptance. This certainly wasn’t the first she’d heard of it. Earth’s moon was steadily making its way towards the planet, it would make contact in two weeks- _ fourteen days and six hours, but who was counting? _ She’d been watching it drifting closer over the past several years, taking up more and more of the sky as each night passed. The tides had all but decimated the majority of the planet, leaving a small but hopeful populace to cling to what was left of their humanity amidst this new crisis. 

As an orphan, Lyda felt she was absolutely suited for this journey. She’d been training her entire life, like most, but she looked forward to this in a way that they did not, in a way they  _ could _ not. Her parents had taken their lives shortly after her birth, knowing they’d die in the collision otherwise. She had friends, of course, but they’d be coming  _ with _ her to evade the collision. She didn’t have any family to be attached to to make her  _ want _ to stay behind- not that she even had that as an option. This was the culmination of her entire life’s work. 

She’d seen the ships already- she’d had a hand in their creation- and was excited to board. She was one of the leaders of her colony. Their destination was Alphaterra 4, a planet sixteen billion light years from Earth. The trip would take ten years with the use of temporal-manipulation, but they would be in stasis for nine years and nine months of it, awoken three months before they landed to prepare for their descent.

As a scientific, rather than military-based colony, hers was being sent to an _ inhabited _ planet. They had made contact with the planet a little over a decade and a half prior, and had been given a solid invitation by the populous.

The race that would welcome her people called themselves the T’sari; a humanoid species with a so-far  _ immeasurable _ life span. The files they’d sent depicted them to be what she could only describe as  _ elven _ \- tall and slender, with ears that came to a pointed fan at the tips. They looked elegant and regal- truly majestic beings that she  _ couldn’t _ wait to meet. 

As she excitedly mulled over information to herself, Lyda waved her hand, signaling her air screen to sleep before standing up and gathering her things. She made her way to the mess hall, where she met up with a couple of friends, Lynn and Dimetra, for lunch. She found them at their usual table, in the corner, already enamored in each other’s conversation. They had always been nearly attached at the hip, with Lyda tagging along whenever she’d had the time. 

From what could be overheard walking by, it sounded like they were discussing an issue Lynn had found with part of her studies for her healing certifications. Lyda took her seat at the circular table after grabbing her own small lunch and pretended to pay attention to her friends until the bell sounded, indicating another unseen check mark on their daily itineraries. She shook herself out of her daydreams and totted off to the gym for daily fitness training with a quick wave goodbye. 

At dinner that night, Dimetra pulled her from the far off land her mind had wandered to- the same place it had been all day- with an abrupt snap of fingers in front of her face. She shook her head and focused her eyes to see her friends staring at her, questioning looks on their faces. 

“Sorry?” She frowned in apology. 

“Lynn asked if you’d help her study for her healing exam, tonight before lights out- I have to help Javian, so I don’t have time.” Dimetra said. 

She nodded, chuckling, ‘helping Javian’. Dimetra had always been one for censorship. But, Lyda  _ had _ been afforded a little bit of extra free time, that evening.

“Of course!” She gave them a warm smile, “We can go straight to the library after we eat, if that’s okay with you?” her friend nodded as she ate a piece of grilled chicken. “Sorry about zoning out, I didn’t get much rest last night, I think I’m nervous about the trip.”

“Don’t worry about it _too_ much- it’s not like there’s an alternative- HA!” Lynn tried her best to console her the only way she knew how- by being louder than her worries. It often felt as though her friends might not know her as well as she had come to know them. People always seemed hesitant to ask her anything about her past, as though just to speak of it might make her break down. In reality, that was quite far from the truth. 

Lyda had trouble remaining present for the rest of the meal, but managed to pull herself together to help Lynn study for a few hours afterward. The young woman seemed to doubt herself more than anything; she’d surely ace her exams. 

The following day yielded the result Lyda had expected, everything seemed to be going according to plan and Lynn had passed her exams with ease. She would have liked to have spent a bit more time with her friends, before boarding day, but the last twenty four hours before were utterly integral to _ everything _ they had all been working for, so she spent the day with the other Colony leaders, Darmah, Lane, Ymara and Eryk. 

In sub-spacial bubbles that floated miles above the earth, humanity would have the most festive going-away party in recorded history. It would be the first time, ever, that everyone on earth would be doing the same sort of things at the same exact time. 

The festivities started with everyone seated, quiet, save the softest sounds of rustling fabrics from all of the party-goers, rife with anticipation. Everyone wore extravagant garments, made of the finest fabrics that the planet could offer, all of which would make their way off-planet in the days to come as offerings to their new hosts. With a click, everyone’s attention was pulled to the front of the respective bubbles, as over a million, large air screens came to life at the apex of the auditorium like spaces. A single, beautiful face spread out across the world for everyone to see. With hair like spun starlight, eyes a blue as deep as the cosmos, and perfectly ebony skin, Umaba easily commanded the room. All of them, stretched out across the world.

“Welcome, citizens of Earth, human kind!” She beamed at them. “Welcome to the party, to end all parties- at least for now. I am your hostess, for this evening, and will be a guide for years to come- Umaba. Today, we celebrate those brave souls who are embarking outward, to save humanity, as well as those too age-encumbered to make the trip. Families will be broken and reforged, tomorrow, so we will celebrate that they were able to exist today.” The air around them reverberated with an endless ring of applause.

_ Everyone  _ knew Umaba, she didn’t  _ need  _ to introduce herself, but the theatricality that had gone into everything that surrounded who she was as an individual meant that everything she said and did needed to be filled with  _ purpose _ , just as it had been when she lived. She was meant to carry hope on her back, even when people had little. Umaba had truly been the voice of the people when they had lost everything, so when her corporeal body expired, her mind had been uploaded, and for the past century, it had been  _ her _ face that welcomed everyone, everywhere. Umaba offered her guidance in the form of an AI, helping humanity to forge their own futures. 

When she finished her speech, the bubbles began to fill with artificial smoke and strobing lights, and music began to beat through the floor. Everyone drank, ate, smoked, imbibing whatever helped them  _ ease into _ their apocalypse. 

Lyda wore a midnight-blue suit with a train, made of strong lines that complimented her figure whilst giving her an edge of authority. She pulled her wild red hair into a high, tight bun, with a holographic ‘hat’ that floated just to the side of it, like moons orbiting her head, and her make up was done dark, to compliment her pale green eyes. All the leaders of their colony had chosen the same midnight blue color, in solidarity. They sat at their own table, accepting gifts they knew they couldn’t keep, and filling themselves up with the courage and bravery they would need for their trip. Their world would be on their shoulders. Anything could happen. 

Darmah was having an especially hard time saying goodbye to her parents and elder sister, all of whom were staying behind. Lyda tried consoling her, on their way back to their base on the lightning train, as all colony members were leaving, but found herself falling  _ short _ of empathetic. 

“Don’t worry about it, Lyda- I’m actually kind of jealous.” Darmah chuckled through her tears, wiping away what little make up she’d worn with her gloved hands. She wore a flowing gown with cutouts on the sides and an open back, with no shoes at all. Her short, wavy hair was side-swept, elegantly, with a ‘hat’ that matched Lyda’s. 

_ “Jealous?” _ Lyda cocked her head. 

“Well, y’know...cause of your parents.” She sighed, grimacing to herself.

“And I’m a bit jealous that yours _ stayed _ for you.” Lyda gave her a soft grin and reached out to hold Darmah’s hand. “I know that can’t help...I’m sorry, Dar.”

“You guys doing alright?” Eryk didn’t make any sound as he came up behind them, so Darmah jumped at the sound of his voice. 

“I’m just...y’know, having a rough time.” She sighed glancing between Lyda and Eryk. 

“And I’m not really helping much.” Lyda tried to ignore the awkwardness that built between the three of them. She knew they had feelings for each other, and decided it best to leave them alone. 

“If you want to go and get a drink or something, I can talk to her.” Eryk patted her on the shoulder. She took the out, and headed down the cabin and through the doors to the next train car. She followed the length of the train until she reached the back, where she found the only face she really wanted to see, gazing out the window as the world blurred by them. 

Master Kayto had a pipe hanging out of the side of his mouth and a wistful look on his face. He, too, wore midnight blue in solidarity. His silver hair was artfully styled around his ageless face- his seventy years looked much more like thirty. He didn’t talk much, but what little he said always held meaning to Lyda. He was the closest she’d ever had to a father. 

“Nervous?” he asked her before turning around. 

“You know I am.” She stated, just the slightest lilt of emotion in her voice. 

“Should I remind you that you got where you are right now through more merit than necessity?” he turned to face her, offering her his pipe. It had been quite strange, the first time he’d offered to share his smoke with her. He smoked several different herb combinations at different times, more often than not a mix involving marijuana. She shrugged and took a drag before handing it back. 

“That doesn’t mean I can’t still be nervous about it, Master Kayto.” she grimaced. 

“I suppose I’ll give you that, but don’t let it hold you back. The whole world doesn’t rest on your shoulders alone, but enough of it does that you need to keep a good head on it, too.” He stood up, looking down at her. She was on the tall side, statistically, but he had always managed to make her feel small. 

“I know I can manage, but I’m happy to not be holding onto any reigns tonight.” she shrugged. Kayto placed the pipe back in his mouth. 

“This might be the time for me to tell you that maybe your parents would be proud, but they lost that privilege when they left you on my doorstep.” he spoke around the pipe. “So I’ll just say that I’m proud of you, instead. So, unbelievably proud of you, Lyda.” he placed a hand on her shoulder before pulling her into the tightest of hugs. 

“Are you afraid?” She asked him, after ten minutes of silence. She sat on the floor with her legs crossed, and he leaned back on a bench seat against the wall, passing the pipe back and forth. 

“Not really.” he shrugged. The night came to a close with a dose of melancholy. 

Lyda’’s alarm went off as it normally did on a day that would be  _ the farthest _ from normal. She still had to be to the mess hall, but not for breakfast. Instead, the whole colony would meet for a quick briefing before they would board the buses to the hangars. As a leader, Lyda would be in charge of one of 5 groups of  _ 63 people _ \- there were 320 people in  _ each _ colony, 15,625 colonies- 5 million people in total. Each ship would house _ 5 c _ olonies, making a total of 3,125 ships, to 3,125 destinations. It was assumed that some would likely perish, but humanity would still continue to  _ thrive  _ as a whole _ . _

It took about three minutes for her to account for all 63 members of her group- longer than anticipated, but she was the type to plan ahead for almost anything, so they were still on time to board their bus. She did a final headcount before signaling her driver that they were ready to head out. The bus ride would take approximately 37 minutes, there should be no traffic- this day would be an eternal  _ mark _ in the history of mankind. Lyda felt immeasurable excitement for the future. _ Her name  _ would go down in one form of history or another. 

Lost in thought, time slipped by until she felt the bus’s engine stall, then shut off- they had arrived at the hangar. She quickly gathered her composure,stood up straight, and made her way to the front of the bus. The chatter amongst her group died down as everyone gave her their undivided attention. 

She scanned the eyes in front of her, taking in all of their faces- these people were, for the most part, _ her _ responsibility for the foreseeable future.

“As per the briefing, we will exit the bus, single file, and head towards the doors in an orderly fashion. Does everyone have their numbers?” Everyone held up their badges, Lyda nodded. Her group ranged in age from 13 to 30, young men and women in peak physical and mental condition- their chances of survival were high, she had done the math. “Good, if you lose that badge, I can’t guarantee anything. You are ultimately responsible for yourself, here, understood?” It was a small lie that would pay, later. 

There was a resounding “Yes ma’am,” throughout the cabin.

She nodded again before turning on her heel and exiting the bus. She stood to the side, then, accounting for everyone getting off before making her way back to the front. She led all 63 of them, beaming with excitement or fear, in some cases both, into the hangar and to the changing area. They all donned skin-suits -body suits made of a hyper polymer that would easily survive being frozen during the almost decade long slumber- for the cryo chambers. Once inside, the group made their way to line up with the rest of their colony, while Lyda separated, joining her fellow group leaders. They would board directly after the rest of the colony. 

Given everyone’s training, boarding was a fairly quick process.

Each colony was lead onto the ship through five different entrances- the ships would  _ separate _ into individual colonies once into deeper space, they were connected for ease of exit. The layout of the ship made it so that the stasis chambers were at the bottom, stacked on top of each other in six levels- Group 1 to the first level, 2 to the second, and so on, with the highest level consisting of only five chambers. Above that was the living quarters, separated by group as well, then the mess hall and infirmary, then the recreation area and training stations, then finally, at the tip of the ship, the bridge and the observatory that also housed the captain’s quarters. 

It took a little over three hours for the entirety of the colony, save the leaders, to be put into stasis sleep. Lyda followed the stasis technician, a woman of roughly 50 years who had volunteered, to the top of the stasis chambers via a narrow metal staircase. The woman looked to Lyda and her four compatriots, trying  _ hard _ and  _ failing _ to hide the sadness in her eyes with a well practiced smile.

“Who wants to go first?” She asked in a tone that Lyda could only describe as motherly. 

She knew that none of them wanted to be last- they had discussed it several days prior. Lane, leader of the second group, would go first, followed by Ymarah, of group four, then Eryk, of group five, Darmah, of group one, finally followed by Lydaleigh, leader of group three. 

She watched each of them be ‘put to sleep’ making sure to pay extra attention to the steps the technician took, so they would be fresh in her mind if she needed to repeat the process on the off off chance that she awoke too  _ early. _ When it was her turn, she felt a little twinge of excitement. She took in the utter stillness that surrounded her, and gave her warmest smile to the technician before she shook herself to steady her mind. 

She gingerly climbed into her stasis chamber. The nano-mesh was warm against her skin, undulating around her as it encased her body. The technician looked right at her, then, smiling sweetly as a single tear slid from the corner of her eye. Lyda felt the slight sting as thousands of micro-needles were inserted into her skin, injecting her with the stasis serum. The last thing she remembered before her vision faded was that sad smile on the woman’s face as she pressed a button, sliding shut the door to her chamber. 


	2. V1:  Human Freckles

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Grand Prince of the T'sari People wants to meet his soon-to-be subjects, things are amiss.

Grand Prince Vyrik Ceraphym of Cresthold boarded his ship, The Star Bride, with his first general, Ormyn Wie, and a crew of 35. They were to set out for the human ship Avalon ZC, to meet the human colony that had traveled so far to evade their extinction. They had attempted to contact the vessel several times over the length of their journey, only receiving feedback from them within the past  _ six  _ lunar cycles.

He had been informed that the human ships’ crew had also been in stasis up until this point. The colony members wouldn’t be awoken for at least three  _ more _ lunar cycles, and the colony leaders would be awoken a cycle  _ prior _ to that. He already wasn’t fond of the way humans did things. He had informed the crew that he and his general would be boarding in three days’ time and that it would be best to wake the leaders so that they might discuss things in  _ person. _ That had been three days  _ ago _ , now they were en route. 

The Star Bride quickly closed the distance between Alphaterra 4 and the Avalon ZC. General Wie docked the ships and sent a message to the humans that they had arrived, requesting permission to board. With permission received, Vyrik stepped onto the transport pad and pressed a button on his wrist, propelling his body through space in an instant. He found himself quickly on the bridge of the Avalon ZC, face-to-face with what he could only assume was a human female.

The alien stepped cautiously closer to him holding out her hand, an aggressive grin on her face. He took a step back, eyeing her closely. The human looked down at her hand, aggressive expression faltering. They said something in their mother tongue, dubiously expecting him to understand. Vyrik shook his head and gestured at Wie to fix the problem. The man stepped forward, quickly pressing his palm to the human’s forehead. His hand glowed for a moment before he took it away. 

“General Ormyn has given you the gift of language, human.” Vyrik said to her, she nodded.

“I’m Vanessa, leader of the Avalon ZC skeleton crew.”

“Vah Nessa?” He over pronounced. 

She nodded. 

“Are your leaders being awoken, as requested?” General Wei spoke up. 

The female nodded, gesturing to a door on the right. “Would you like to greet them as they wake?” 

“I'd be delighted, please,” Vyrik said with a slight bow, “lead the way.” 

With no further banter, she led them to the lower levels of the ship via a lift. Upon entry to the massive room filled with low-tech cryo chambers, the pathway dramatically decreased in size, from a three-person-wide hallway, to nearly single file. A technician of some sort preceded Vah Nessa, followed by himself and general Wie. They approached the topmost level of chambers, which appeared slightly larger than those that lined the walls below. A second technician worked on the first two chambers where a pale man of thin but fit build, and a woman of similar physique, though darker complexion, were already in the process of waking. They looked to Vyrik with awe in their faces.

Before either of them could speak, General Wie stepped forward and gave them the Gift. They need  _ not _ go through with that again. 

“What the hell was that?” the male stammered, slack jawed at Wie. 

“General Wie has given you the gift of language, human.” Vyrik responded. As if the man expected it, he simply nodded. The woman responded similarly. 

“Are you going to do that to all of us?” She asked them. 

Wie nodded, apparently choosing not to speak. He wasn’t much of a conversationalist, any-who. 

Going down the line, he watched as Vah Nessa and her accompanying technicians woke the next two leaders, another man, whose coloring was neither pale nor deep and woman with similar build and coloring to the pale one. Judging the pattern, he assumed that the final leader would also be male, but was-quite  _ pleasantly _ -surprised. Unlike the others, her features were a touch more  _ vibrant _ . Her eyes were large and Green, rimmed by orange lashes, and her hair cascaded over her shoulders, equally as bright. Dots of random pigmentation were flecked across her face. Her lips were full and set in a forever-pout. Her hair and eye color weren’t common on Alphaterra 4, but the  _ flecks _ were not anything he’d ever encountered. He wondered, at first, if she might be  _ infected _ with something, but she appeared just as fit and healthy as the other four. 

“Is there something wrong with my face?” She asked after having been given the gift, her voice strong and unfaltering. 

Vyrik seemed to have trouble finding  _ his _ voice- not at all something he was used to- “I- you- the  _ dots _ ...on your face...I am  _ unfamiliar _ with them...I apologize for staring- ah…” he trailed off, not wanting to simply address her as ‘human.’

“Lyda. I’m Lydaleigh.” She said, stepping out of her chamber and holding her hand out, palm facing towards him in the gesture of new-meetings. He pressed his hand against hers and nodded curtly. “They’re called  _ freckles _ , by the way….” She said. 

The word sounded strange and unfamiliar to him. It didn’t seem his people had a word for them. “Freckles….” he said, nodding again. He realized their hands were still touching- a bit longer than any regular greeting, bridging on _ informal _ \- he hoped she wouldn’t notice. He let his hand fall and watched as she did the same. 

From there, they made their way from the cryo chambers, back up to a more spacious floor, down a long hall and into a large room with a table in the center- somewhat like a dining hall, though a touch _ more _ formal. Vah Nessa stated that she had other things to attend to and left them alone in the room with the five colony leaders. They each took seats around the table, letting Lydaleigh sit at the far end like an unspoken leader. Vyrik decided to take the other end, Wie sitting to his left. 

“I assume there were no  _ complications _ to your journey?” He asked, his eyes flitting to every face, lingering once more on Lydaleigh’s, though this time not because of her appearance. She held an  _ air _ in the room. The others seemed to look to her for guidance. She sat up straight, shoulders back with her jaw set just so. It wasn’t as though she demanded the attention, it felt as if she had earned it. 

She smiled, confidence evident in her eyes, “No, not as far as I am aware.” 

“Good,” he nodded.

“Shall we introduce ourselves?” Lydaleigh asked, glancing around the room, making eye contact with everyone at least once. The group nodded. “Well, everyone knows I’m Lydaleigh , leader of the third group, engineering and practical sciences. I figure we can go on from the left.” She motioned to the fit, ebony skinned woman next to her. 

“I’m Ymarah, leader of the fourth group- intelligence and inter-species relations.” 

The pale man spoke next. “I’m Lane, leader of the second group, Agriculture and mechanical engineering.” 

All eyes fell on him- something he’d grown used to over the period of his life, “I am Vyrik Ceraphym of Cresthold, grand prince of the T’sari people of Alphaterra 4.”

It seemed then that his introduction had taken the air from the room.

“I’m sorry,” Lydaleigh spoke up, “But did I understand you correctly?  _ Grand prince _ ?” 

He nodded. 

“Yes... Is it not customary in humanity for the leader to greet a new people?” he cocked his head at her. 

“Well...We never had anything to do with off-planet communications, so no, not really...Our world leaders have always had a tendency to stand behind a wall of armed guards.” 

Vyrik inwardly scoffed. “That is  _ cowardly _ . I am no coward.” 

“Fair enough- It would be a lie to say that our world leaders  _ weren’t  _ cowardly. We don’t intend to be that way, I assure you.” she nodded. 

“Shall we continue, then?” He asked, with the group’s response being a continuation of the introductions. They all turned to look at General Wie. He nodded, “General Ormyn Wie, second only to the Grand Prince Vyrik Stryke of Cresthold, leader of the T’sari people” he spoke quickly, his voice a touch on the edge of harshness. He was on high alert today. 

“Right...I’m Darmah, Group one, colony education” The pale woman next to Wie spoke up, crossing her arms over her chest. 

Lastly, the man to Lydaleigh’s right spoke, “Eryk, group five, health and defense.”

“Good. That’s everyone.” Vyrik said. “Shall we discus landing-day plans, then?”

Lydaleigh nodded, “Absolutely, but I don’t think I’m alone in the idea that perhaps we-” she motioned to her people, “Go and  _ wash up _ first, if that’s fine?” She said, almost as if she were asking a question. It was then that he noticed that the five of them were a bit... under-dressed. 


	3. L2: The First Misstep

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The crew learns what to expect upon landing day and discusses what they'll do moving forward.

Lyda was still trying to wrap her mind around the “Gift of Language”. She’d been studying dialects and speech patterns for the past  _ several  _ years only to have them just  _ give _ it to her. It was just as frustrating as it managed to be exciting.

She had so much to learn about these people- their culture, habits, etc. She had grown so distracted after meeting Vyrik that she’d failed to notice the discomfort of her fellow leaders as they’d made their way past their rooms and up to the conference room. They were sitting there  _ practically naked _ with two complete strangers. The skin suits left very little to the imagination. It wasn’t until she’d noticed Darmah folding her arms across her chest that she had begun to realize that they might as well have been nude. What a  _ fantastic  _ first impression. 

When she arrived in her quarters, she made a note of the set up. Not too big, not too small, slightly higher ceilings- she’d helped to design these quarters with the goal of  _ comfort  _ in mind. Human beings tend to prefer wide open spaces, more often than not, so a higher ceiling. But the ships were meant to house so many people- slightly smaller accommodations were in order. Not to mention, power usage needed to be low, so energy saving appliances and lighting, of course. The walls  _ were  _ the lights, made of a phosphorescent metal-glass-plasticine hybrid- very durable. They were tinted in such a way that the light would feel _ natural _ . The back left corner of the room housed a single bed that had drawers built into its frame for storage. There was a desk directly to the right of the bed that folded into the wall, the underside hosting an air screen. The floors were made of a self-cleaning polymer with high-level shock absorbency. Everything was uniform and clean and sleek. 

The drawers beneath the bed had been filled with Lyda’s belongings- not much, but they were hers. After slipping out of the skin suit and depositing it into a chute on the wall to her right she stood in front of the wall opposite the bed and pressed her hand to it. A jut of frigid air hit her naked body, cleansing her of any and all contaminants. She proceeded to pull out a comfortably snug pair of seafoam-green pants with a metallic-silver colored top and a cropped, black cardigan that had a color changing collar and hems. She slipped on a pair of black, soft-soled shoes, and finished it all by tying her hair up in a high pony before she made her way back to the conference room.

Vyrik and Gen. Wie seemed to have stayed put while the rest of the group had left to change. She felt like she were in some fantasy world with the two of them just nonchalantly sitting at the end of the table. Vyrik had a device pulled out and was scrolling through something while Wie sat stoic, eyes on the door, nodding at her when she came in. 

It appeared that she was the first to return, so she simply took her place at the end of the table and decided to wait. 

“You all lead  _ together _ ?” Vyrik asked. 

She nodded, smiling. “Taking notes from our history, it felt necessary to stay away from single-party leadership.”

“Our species understands this as well. I’m merely the face and, quite often, a benefactor.”

“Good to know.”

“If you lead together, why do they look to  _ you _ ?” Vyrik tipped his head to the side, raising a brow at her. 

“Oh, they don’t look to _ me. _ ..that’s funny, though.” She chuckled a bit. Perhaps her having decided to take the head of the table was a mistake?- Lyda leaned forward on her elbows. 

After what felt like an eternity, everyone else started funneling back into the room, looking a bit more  _ themselves _ . 

Lane’s chest puffed out, now that his body _ wasn’t _ on full display, complimented well by a long sleeved black, calf-length cardigan over a green shirt and black pants. It had been strange to see him without his normal demeanor. He was a _ proud  _ man- both a strength and a folly. Darmah soon traipsed in wearing a knee-length blue dress, barefooted. Within another few minutes, Eryk and Ymarah followed behind them, she in a tunic-dress and leggings, and he in a graphic t shirt, a hooded sweatshirt and a pair of fitted, denim trousers. They had no uniform, and thusly were presenting themselves as, well, _ themselves _ . Their values aligned well enough that no one had been afraid to come off as anything other than genuine. 

“What is the meaning for your visit today, Prince Vyrik?” Ymarah asked, after retaking her seat. She emanated a sort of poise that rivaled most with her militant background and demanded the attention of all those that could see or hear her. 

“We had meant to establish laws and such with you before you land in three months’ time.” He said, curtly. 

“Not that we are upset that you’ve come all the way out here- I think it definitely says something and we can all appreciate it, but why couldn't this have been done over some other form of communication? ” Lyda asked, brow raised at the man. 

“Well that was another part of why we have come. We have worry that broadcasts made by your ship might be...intercepted. The T’sari, with myself as their collective voice, welcome you with open arms, but we are not  _ alone _ on the planet. As for our laws, they are very similar to what you had on your home planet.”

“Such as?” Lane spoke up, folding his arms across his chest. 

“No theft or murder, obviously. Quite honestly, I would imagine most of the laws are _common sense-_ consent is mandatory, rape is punishable by death, equal pay for equal work,

sickness is to be reported immediately, physicals are required bimonthly for the first 6 years you’re here….hmmm….Anything else that you can think of, Wie?”

The general’s ears perked up at the sound of his name, “Well they should probably be aware of the curfew, sir.” 

“Right!” he nodded, returning his attention to the rest of the group, “Your people will be under a  _ strict  _ curfew for the first year of your being here- I hope you understand…” he trailed off, almost in question. 

“Well how early are we talking?” Eryk spoke up, cocking his brow. 

“As you probably know, our days last a few hours longer, 30 hours instead of the 24 you’re used to. The sun sets around 15 hrs. You will be required to be indoors after sunset.”

“Remind me, now,” Darmah said, holding up her hand like a metaphorical talking stick, “You measure days in the way that the day starts at sunrise, and the night starts at sundown, so 1AM is sunrise?”

“In short, yes.” Vyrik said. 

“In short?” Ymarah asked.

“Obviously, being  _ organic _ , the sun doesn’t rise at exactly the same time every day, especially during Season Change. For the Warm months, sunrise is at 1AM, but during the Cold Months, sunrise is at 3am. When you arrive, it will be the Cold months, so the sun will rise at 3am, roughly, and set at 13 hours. If this causes you to struggle in any way, we will offer assistance.”

“That sounds pretty fair,” Lyda said. “How will housing work? We have enough basic equipment to sustain us for another three years, if necessary.”

General Wie spoke up, then, “We’ve set up a village for you.” 

Vyrik smiled, “Yes, a village. There are homes ranging from two to four bedrooms, three schools, two hospitals, three markets, a public swimming area, several shops, spas and gyms, restaurants- we intend to give you a lively experience as we introduce you to our planet.”

Having studied their culture and lifestyles, Lyda knew that the T’sari were a very modern and technologically-friendly people. They were a few centuries ahead of humanity, on all counts, and had built a sort of  _ utopia _ for themselves. The mere idea that they were letting them intrude on that was mind boggling in itself. It was even more exciting, knowing that on top of their technological prowess, they were environmentally friendly, having made their homes  _ amidst _ nature. Where humanity might mow down a forest, the T’sari would build their homes into the trees. The only clearings were natural. There were cities made entirely of tree houses, or built into a mountain side. 

Vanessa, the leader of the technical skeleton crew, poked her head in the doorway, connecting her gaze with Lyda’s. “Ma’am, can I speak with you for a moment?” 

She rose an eyebrow, “ _ Just _ me?” 

Vanessa looked confused, “Yes ma’am, _ just _ you.” she ushered her forward with a sense of urgency. When she stepped out of the room, the door whooshed closed behind them, Vanessa continued to hold her gaze. “Sorry for the urgency, ma’am, but things haven’t quite gone according to plan, I honestly wasn’t sure about how to approach this.” 

“Approach what, Vanessa?” 

“Follow me.” 

She rose a brow at her, but did as instructed. “Sure thing...”

Vanessa led her down the hall and to an elevator, pressing the button for the bridge- that must have been a mistake, only the captain and main crew were supposed to have access to the bridge. “Vanessa...Did you mean to...you realize you pressed the bridge, right?” She cocked her head at the other woman. 

“I meant to, ma’am...If you would, ma’am?” She asked, gesturing to the panel that slid out of the wall, instructing her to place her hand on it. Still utterly confused, she pressed her palm flat against the cool panel, waiting to hear the distinct buzz of access denied. To her surprise, it dinged, access granted, with the doors to the bridge sliding open. 

“How- what is going on, Vanessa?” Lyda said, urgency unmasked in her voice. 

“This was all supposed to go  _ differently _ , ma’am, I’m sorry, it’ll be a little more _ abrupt _ , now, but I figured now would be better than later.” 

“Vanessa!” Lyda exclaimed, scowling at the woman in front of her. 

“You’re the captain of the ship, Ma’am.” Lyda had trouble reading the other woman’s face.

“HAH!” Lyda blurted out, thinking it must all have been some sort of intricate, poorly timed joke. 

Vanessa just looked at her nervously. 

“You can’t be serious...there’s no way, how?” she stammered. She already had her group to watch over and take care of, it made no sense for her to take on even more responsibility. Not to mention the fact that it should have been made clear before they had even left the planet whom the captain was or would be. 

“I’m serious, ma’am.” Vanessa chewed her lower lip.

“W-will you stop calling me  _ ma’am _ ?” She huffed in exasperation- now she knew part of the story, but the pieces still weren’t quite all fitted together. 

“Unlikely, Ma’am, it’s better this way, though.”

“Okay, fine. Okay... alright...so, um, how am I the captain?” She asked incredulously. 

“They voted for you, ma’am.” She sighed. 

“Who  _ voted _ for me?” She was frozen, standing just outside of the elevator, eyes wandering all over the room.

“Well...everyone on the ship, ma'am ...most of them, at least…” Vanessa trailed off, still standing at attention. 

“Wait...You mean that vote we did before we boarded, like a month before or so?” 

“No ma’am.”

“What vote?” 

“Do you remember the yearbook we did the year before we left?” she asked, looking up at her intently. 

“Yeah, what about it?” 

“When the colony was asked who should lead them, they picked you, Lydaleigh.” 

“Well as a leader, yes, but I didn’t know that had anything to do with the captain. I thought the point was to do away with single party leadership? Of all of the ways to pick a captain, I have to say, this is the most asinine thing I’ve ever experienced.” 

“The vote was held to see who fared best as a leader of the individual groups, yes, but they knew that one person would likely win out over the rest of the group by a certain majority.” 

“How is that a fair way to vote, though, if you don’t even know what you’re really voting for? Also you didn’t answer my question.” 

“True leaders do not _ desire _ leadership, ma’am.” Vanessa said, stoically, “If they were to have held the vote with their true intentions made known, people wouldn’t have picked someone  _ popular _ , rather than using their instinct and picking the person deemed most trustworthy. As for the other bit, they needed to make sure that you had a group at your back who you trusted, and who trusted you. If you all trust each other, and can agree with each other, you’ll be able to achieve greatness. ” 

“I suppose that makes sense…” Lyda sighed. It didn’t, really, but how could she argue? 

“I know it’s a lot to grasp all at once, ma’am, I came in second place, hence my current position.”

“Awe- I think you would’ve made a great leader, Vanessa.” she smiled at her endearingly. It wasn’t a lie, either. She’d voted for Vanessa to be the leader of her own group, only to be surprised by her win. They voted anonymously- no one named as a candidate, meaning everyone was a candidate, and the playing field was entirely level. Lyda knew that people voted for her because she was reliable, at the very least, but being human, having many a folly, she often denied herself the credit she deserved and imagined herself as much less than what she was.

“Are you sure they tallied the votes correctly…?” She sighed, trying to suppress the mild panic that had begun to set in. Even as she spoke, though, she knew that the system they used for voting was foolproof- she’d done the math herself, and she knew damn well she was great at math. Honored as she was, she couldn’t help but think that someone else would be better than her. Even still, she felt she had a duty to do right by everyone aboard the ship. 

Vanessa looked up at her, letting her gaze ask the question, “Are you ready for this or not?”. She nodded. 

“Right...okay...captain Lydaleigh ...yeah.” She mumbled, making her way to the front of the room. She’d been trained to fly the ship, of course. All of the colony leaders had. It made no sense to make them leaders and not teach them, just in case. In hindsight, the fact that her personal training had been  _ so _ rigorous should have alluded to her position. 

Edgeless, interconnected viewing screens lined the walls- no real windows, as the vacuum of space had, time and time again, shown it’s indifference towards the possible extinction of mankind. The screens projected space in its entirety, exactly the way she’d see it if the dome were made of glass.

Lyda snapped her focus back to Vanessa, who still hadn’t said anything yet. “So now that I’m awake, I’m in charge?” 

“Yes ma’am.” she nodded. 

“And the skeleton crew and the colony leaders are the ship’s crew?”

Vanessa nodded again, stiffly. 

“I understand now, thanks.” 

“Your personal effects have been moved to the captain's quarters, ma’am.”

“Captain’s quarters?” 

“Yes ma’am, follow me, ma’am.” She said. 


	4. V2: Captain?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Puzzle pieces start to come together and Lydaleigh learns about her new role.

Lydaleigh was quickly pulled away from the group by Va Nessa. It seemed that perhaps he had been lied to, in regards to the leadership system aboard the ship. Vyrik rose a brow at the whole scenario. The other humans sighed collectively. 

“She’s not aware of her leadership status.” Ymarah said. 

Vyrik rose a brow at her, “Why?” 

“We didn’t tell her.” Lane said. 

“ _ Why _ ?” His confusion only deepened the furrow of his brow. 

“We...we went off on the theory that no one who  _ wants _ to be a leader  _ deserves  _ to be. It wasn’t meant to be this  _ abrupt _ .” Darmah sighed. “We were all informed. She was meant to be awoken  _ today _ , a week before us, and briefed. Then given a week to process and come to terms with her new position. That couldn’t happen, though.” She gestured to the table, towards he and his general. 

“Would it not have benefited you to inform us of this? Don’t insinuate this is in any way a fault of ours.” Vyrik’s voice timbered on the edge of outrage. 

“Yes, it would have, but there is a reason that Va Nessa was  _ second _ in the vote.” 

“Ah ...I see.” He nodded. He did not. It made  _ no  _ sense _ at all. _

A short time later, Lydaleigh strode back into the room, chin up, shoulders back. She certainly held the presence of a leader, albeit a nervous one. He wouldn’t be surprised to find out that their strange vote had been unanimous. He felt his own attention being centered around her. She demanded it without a word. 

Taking her place back at the head of the table, she laced her fingers together and leaned forward against it. 

“I’ve...uh- I’ve just been informed that I was the winner of the vote for captain a while back ...still pretty sure the reason I wasn’t told is _ bonkers _ , but overall, I’m coping.” She leaned back in her chair and sighed. 

“I’m sorry we couldn’t tell you…” Darmah mumbled. 

“The way they explained it to us, it sounded sort of...heroic? Though now, with the poor execution, we realize the situation isn’t...ideal.” Eryk held up his hands in mock surrender. 

Vyrik shook his head and grinned, leaning forward on his hands like a curious child. He couldn’t decide whether he was just stunned or completely outraged. 

Lydaleigh set a heavy hand on the table to draw everyone’s attention again. 

“What else do we need to discuss?” she looked around the room, meeting everyone’s eyes at least once, but coming to settle on Vyrik’s. 

“I do believe that was the bulk of it, Captain LydAleigh.” He nodded. 

“I suppose General Wie and myself should depart, then, so that your schedule might progress unhindered for the duration of your trip.” Vyrik bowed his head. He desperately wanted reason to stay behind as a means to get to know these new people- they were all-together far more interesting than he’d previously assumed- especially Captain Lydaleigh, she definitely struck a chord in him. 

“I’d hoped you’d dine with us before your departure.” the Captain pipped. 

“I suppose it would be rude to deny you that, after our blatant intrusion.” He said curtly, trying ever harder to keep emotion from his voice. He need not let his intrigue cause problems.

“I’m not really feeling the whole, eating, thing, actually.” Darmah shook her head. 

Eryk nodded at her, “I’d actually like to head to the library for a little while, maybe have some coffee...or whatever we have equivalent to it.” 

“Alright, I suppose we can split off, then, but I’m going to head to the mess hall for breakfast. Prince Vyrik, General Wie, if you’d follow me, we might carry on, there?” Captain Lydaleigh met his gaze again, before darting her eyes away.

“Lead the way, Captain.” Vyrik gestured to the door, standing as he went. Everyone filed out and headed their separate ways. He waited until Captain Lydaleigh exited before following after her. 

She led them down several corridors, and into a lift. The doors slid open to a large room filled with tables and chairs, a mass communal dining room. A short-statured male of muscular build approached her as she stepped out of the lift. General Wei stepped in front and proceeded to give him The Gift. He looked confused, but the Captain explained it like she’d been born to. Vyrik thought, then, how he could listen to her speak for  _ hours  _ and not get tired of her voice. 

“Captain Lydaleigh.” He saluted her in an exaggerated way. 

She returned his gesture in a much less militaristic fashion, rolling her eyes at the man. “Yes, HayVien?” 

“Ma’am, you’re to take all of your meals upstairs.” the grin on his face was mischievous. Vyrik did not like him, and decided to be wary of him. 

“On the bridge?” 

The one called HayVien smiled and shook his head. “No ma’am, the observatory- your quarters.”

Everyone seemed to enjoy the new Captain’s discomfort in her new position of authority. It made Vyrik wonder if perhaps it was all to test whether or not she could really rise to the occasion . It wasn’t the _ strangest _ thing he’d ever heard of, and it would be quite effective if she proved to be able to rise to the occasion. But if she didn’t, they might die.

“Ooookay, then. Well, I apologize, gentlemen, if you’ll follow me back into the lift?” She spun on her heel. This time, a panel slid out of the wall when she pressed the button for the floor. She placed her hand on it and it beeped. 

The doors opened once more, but to a far much more enjoyable view. Above them and out on all sides, they were surrounded by the void of space. Dotted with trillions of stars and planets. It was a dome, with wall of bookshelves on one side of the room, a moderate sized table to the other, a rather large, bulky-by his standards- computer system with an important-looking chair at the head of the room, and a telescope in the center. It definitely looked like the space a _ leader _ should occupy. 

The table was set with steaming mugs of dark liquid that smelled very earthy, as well as three plates of food. Eggs and some form of meat, it looked like. They had  _ eggs  _ back home. The colors were a bit different, but the shapes were the same. The yolks tended to be red or blue, he’d never seen a yellow one before. The meat smelled quite savory. There were also glasses of tart orange liquid nearby. An odd choice for a first meal of the day. 

General Wei took his seat first, and picked up a utensil with a five pronged end, using it to prod the strange meat. 

“Oh, that’s right, you’ve never had bacon before.” Lydaleigh sighed, smiling. 

“Bacon?” Wei rose a brow. 

“It’s part of an animal called a pig. Well, it was, before we started growing meat from cells rather than harvesting the entire animal, on a farm. The actual animal went extinct about a century ago. It was a lot like a ventrimere* on Alphatera 4. 

“And these are eggs?” he asked, pointing.

“Yes, grown from cells as well.” she nodded. 

He gingerly put a bite of the meat into his mouth and chewed it thoughtfully. Almost two minutes passed before he spoke again. 

“It tastes a bit odd, but overall not bad. We treat our livestock well, so they treat us well. Some of your people will learn how to tend the livestock, yes?” 

She nodded.

They continued their meal in an uncomfortable silence that seemed to stretch out longer than it should have. General Wei cleared his throat. 

“Do you have something to say, General?” Vyrik rose his brow at the normally-forward man. 

“Yes sir.” He clipped. 

“Well spit it out, Wie. You’re not one to hold your tongue where it counts.” Vyrik grew quickly impatient. 

“Should we not discuss the...protesters, sir? They have a right to know what they’re walking into.” 

Vyrik straightened, dropping his utensil loudly on the metal plate. “Has it gotten worse?” 

General Wie shook his head, “No, not as far as I’m aware, I’ve got Galanti keeping a close watch on things, but on the off chance it...escalates, I feel that there might be...casualties.” He looked to Captain Lydaleigh. “Not everyone agrees with our having decided to receive you. Our race will welcome you with open arms, but we do not  _ solely _ occupy the planet.” 

Lydaleigh sat straighter and set down her utensils, taking a long gulp from her cup. 

“Of course. Right. You had mentioned that. I shouldn’t have expected things to go so smoothly. ” her words were clipped.

“We have been trying to contact your people the entire duration of your trip, ma’am.” General Wei said. 

“We should have had a small crew awake the entire trip- you got no response until recently?” She sounded incredulous. 

“We were informed that the  _ entire _ crew were under stasis for the entire duration, save the last six moons.”

“That’s _ not _ how they trained us. There were supposed to be a crew of  _ five  _ awake for the entire trip. Va Nessa was supposed to be the lead- Oh my god she doesn’t  _ look _ like she’s aged ten years...So the ship was just... _ unmanned _ for almost a decade as we flew through space...how could...I-” She quickly stood up and marched over to the large computer on the wall, placing her hand against the screen. It lit up to show several different programs running, hundreds of lines of data to be sifted through at her behest, leaving the men to their food. Several minutes passed before she walked back to the table. 

“I’m sorry, gentlemen. It seems I’ll need to have another meeting with my crew- the whole crew this time, I think. But where were we? Protesters?” She quickly got back to the worry at hand. 

Wei nodded, “They’re not T’sari, but rather another race, the Sphensu. The humans said they did not need information about any other regions than our own, we didn’t argue. We did not think it necessary to tell you. It has become necessary.” 

“Alright. How many other races are there?” She looked intrigued. 

“Perhaps Prince Vyrik should tell you the rest? I am not as well versed in these things.” 

She nodded. 

“Very well.” Vyrik said. “There are five, including the T’sari, most are as we are- educated, welcoming and friendly, overall, but two do not follow such open minded ideologies. The Sphensu and the Crangek peoples. We call them The Gray. They conform to their own moral code and tend to abstain from normal societal things. They are technologically behind by nearly a millennia. They don’t like change, refuse it. We think it has to do with fear, but we aren’t close enough to be for sure. They refuse to trade with anyone but each other. They have taken the northernmost continent of our planet, Shareen, as their kingdom. They live within a fortress of metal and stone and rarely come outside of their lands. Your arrival has brought them banging on our gates. We found their spy in our masses and sent her back with a warning to

keep out of our affairs but that brought their generals, who have been camped outside of our own fortress walls for the past three moons. They beg us not to let you in, they say you will bring sickness. We have tried to sway them of this opinion to no avail.” 

Lydaleigh nodded, crossing her arms over her chest, a look bordering sullen masking her features. “Have they threatened to shoot us down?” 

“To do so would incite war. We have not gone to war in a millenia. My grandfather fought in the last great war. He still tells stories of the bodies piled to the skyline. Our people conquered the Gray and diminished their people to less than half of our own population. I don’t know if they could regroup to such an extent in only a millenia.”

“How could they not have enough men in a thousand years?” Lydaleigh rose her brow in confusion. 

“By their laws, which we know from our own spies, have not changed, each house- there are 12- may only have  _ one _ child per century. They say it keeps them pure. That is only 120 new soldiers. It would be daft to come at us with such small forces, we would  _ decimate _ them.” 

General Wei nodded, “Yes. Daft.” 

“If you think we’re safe, I suppose I’ll just have to trust you. But on the off chance you’re wrong-” She pointed her finger at them, “I’m coming into the atmosphere with shields on high. I don’t want to lose my people over something so  _ trivial _ . Please keep me updated.” 

That seemed to be the end of their little meeting. She ushered the men out of the observatory and back onto the lift. No one spoke as they descended to the lower floors. The doors swished open and she continued to lead the way, until they arrived back at the conference room. “I’d lead you out, but I’m actually not entirely certain  _ how _ you got onboard. I know your ship is docked, I saw it on my screens, but the doors aren’t bridged. Did you...teleport?” Her eyes grew wide. 

Vyrik slyly tapped his wrist, where the little transmatter bracelet glowed light green. He pulled another, stealthily out of his pocket. He’d grabbed it on the way off of the ship without anyone noticing. He hadn’t been sure why he’d done it, but his intuition was seldom wrong. It was one of his Gifts. He kept it sealed in his hand, out of view, looking to General Wei. “Shall we head back, now?” 

He nodded, pressing his own band twice, before dematerializing completely. When he was gone, Vyrik quickly strode over to Lydaleigh. 

He gingerly grabbed her arm, she had pulled up a screen on the wall, checking on something else. “Captain Lydaleigh.” He said. She turned around, facing him. She glanced back and forth between his hand on her wrist and his face before she spoke. 

“Yes, Prince Vyrik?” She looked down at his hand on her arm and frowned. 

“I picked this up before I left the ship. It’s what I’ve got on. It won’t work without a proper link up to the ship, but if something happens while you’re entering our atmosphere, use it. You’ll be close enough to pick up a signal, then, and this will bring you to safety.” She opened her mouth to speak. He held up a finger to her mouth, shushing her. She glared at him, slapping his hand away. Perhaps it had been inappropriate, but he knew what she’d say. “You are going to ask me why I’m taking this precaution?” 

“Yes- why? Also, don’t shush people, it’s  _ rude _ .” Her cheeks had reddened. 

“I know not the inner workings of my gift, only that it is a  _ gift. _ I do things instinctively sometimes, and this was one of those things. I’ve never been wrong to listen to it, so I don’t ignore it. I’ll have to explain it to General Wei later. I just have a feeling. Please, at least wear it or keep it with you.” 

“I- okay. Sure. Will it make you feel better?” She chuckled a little.

Vyrik nodded, fastening the band around her wrist and pulling her sleeve down to cover it. “Yes. I will leave now, but myself or Wei will be contacting you regularly to keep you updated with what is going on down on the ground and for your updates as to what goes on here. Is that sufficient?” 

“Yes. Consider it a plan. Safe travels.” She saluted him, standing at attention, her cheeks still flushed- from what, he couldn’t ascertain. He returned her salutation with his own before pressing the button on his wrist. In an instant, he stood back on the Star Bride. 

  
  



	5. L3: Mutiny

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Some unsettling truths come to light as Lyda attempts to settle into her new role.

Lyda felt a bit stupid, standing in the conference room by herself. She hadn’t even called the meeting yet. She pressed her palms to her eyes. It was so much to take in. The data showed that there had in fact been _one_ _person_ _awake _for _most_ of the trip, and that was Vanessa. 

She’d woken up  _ once _ every three months for a handful of days at a time before going back to sleep. The other members of the crew had only been awake for the first year of the trip before something made them decide to _ all _ go to sleep. She decided she’d chat with each of them one on one before she called the meeting. The only reason she’d come down here was to see Vyrik off. She sauntered back to the lift and returned to the bridge. Javian was on controls, as he was supposed to be, Vanessa was nowhere to be seen. The other three should have been close by, but only herself, Javian, and one other, a young woman named Thwarta, were on the bridge. 

“Javian?” He jumped at the sound of his own name. 

“Yes?” He sounded perturbed. 

“Where is the rest of the crew?” Her stomach her begun to form knots on itself.

Thwarta piped in, “Vanessa is in the infirmary with Marnie, and Jora is in the mess hall getting us some coffee.”

“Can I ask you guys a question?” it wasn’t quite one-on-one, but she would have to manage with what she had. 

Javian swiveled around in his chair to face her, his normal, somewhat flirty, casual smile in place. “Go for it,  _ Captain _ .” 

Thwarta nodded, “It would be kind of fucked-up to not answer you.” 

Lyda chuckled a bit, but let her laughter die into severity. 

“Why did you all go to sleep after only  _ one year? _ ” She stood sternly, hands on her hips.

“Was that not ...the protocol?” Javian’s smile faded into obscurity that could have been masking concern.

“You were meant to be awake for the _ entire _ trip. We all went through the training exercises together, did we not?” 

“Well, we all trained under _ Vanessa _ ...Since she was going to be our captain, or so we thought.” Thwarta said, her gaze dropping to the floor. 

“Wait...you underwent a different training? By who’s orders?” The knots tightened at her core, threatening to implode her. 

“Vanessa said  _ she  _ was captain…” Javian said, discomfort painting his face. 

“But she’s  _ not, _ guys. Everyone else knew who the captain was, other than myself- how did you not?” 

“Vanessa said…” Thwarta drew off, furrowing her brow in obvious frustration. 

“I’m starting to see a  _ pattern _ , here.” Lyda said, running hands over her face. This wasn’t adding up the way she had hoped. She looked at Javian. “So you didn’t undergo training with professor Gingheart?” He shook his head. “You either?” she looked at Thwarta, who also shook her head. “So Vanessa told all of you that she was the captain and you just believed her and did everything she said?” Lyda looked at them incredulously. 

“Why would she lie?” Thwarta asked her, confusion painting her soft features as she looked away. 

“I don’t know…” Javian sighed. “What do we do, Captain?” They both looked up a her. 

“How do I know that you guys aren’t just throwing me through a loop here?” Lyda crossed her arms tightly over her chest.

Thwarta raised her right hand as if in oath, “I swear on my life, I had no idea, Lyda, you’ve known me for almost my entire life, I have no reason to lie to you.” 

“What’s going on?” a fourth voice joined in. Lyda turned to see Jora walking in with a hover tray of coffees hovering behind him. “Oh, Lyda, do you want some coffee? I can send for another.” 

“Jora, no thanks, I’m great, I just have a question.” The others turned their gazes to him. 

“Go ahead. Is everything okay?” he said, handing everyone their drinks. 

She asked him the same question as the others, his response was the same, which told her that they really weren't kidding. Vanessa had ‘crowned herself captain’ apparently. 

“Why would she lie like that?” Jora asked everyone and noone at the same time.

“I have no idea, Jora. Why did she even tell me about my being captain? I had no clue until today!” 

“We didn’t know either,” Javian said, “I only found out when I went to check in earlier and usually it lets me but today it said I needed the captain’s authorization and Vanessa’s stuff wouldn’t work either. I still haven’t been able to check any of the diagnostics of anything yet. Did you?” 

“Yeah, I checked them a little while ago. So What was her plan? How did she keep you from finding out? This looks worse and worse the farther I dig into it, you know that, right?” She 

walked over to Javian’s screen and pressed her palm against it. It glowed green before showing “Access Granted” 

“Well She had us training so rigorously, we missed most of the colony meetings. She would leave us to train while she went and would come back to us with a report. We just listened to her. I don’t know why none of us thought it odd until now. I don’t know how no one else noticed?” Thwarta said. 

“Can you patch me into the infirmary surveillance camera? I want to see what’s going on.” Lyda half asked, half ordered. 

Javian easily pulled up the feed and turned on the sound. 

~ _ “Why didn’t you tell us about Lyda?” _ Marnie was asking Vanessa. 

~_“Because they did the vote _**wrong.**_ She wasn’t supposed to win,_** I was.”** Vanessa spoke through clenched teeth. 

~ _ “But the vote isn’t even done by a human being, Vanessa. It’s completely accurate.”  _ Marnie argued. 

~“ _ Well obviously it isn’t, Marnie,”  _ Vanessa bit, her face growing more visibly red with anger. 

~ _ “Ness...Did you lie to us all about this? Why did everyone else already know about it? Ymarah said everyone else has known since  _ **before we even left.” **

“ _ Well Ymarah’s a lying bitch. Remember what happened with General Greg?”  _

~ _ “General Greg raped her, Vanessa.  _ **He raped her. ** _ They proved it. He  _ **admitted** _ it.” _ Marnie crossed her arms over her chest defiantly. 

~ _ “So you don’t believe me?” _ Vanessa puffed out her chest, clenching her fists at her sides. 

~ _ “It doesn’t add up, Ness! I can’t possibly understand how you thought this was going to work _ ** _ i_ ** **f everyone else knew** _ ? What were you going to do?”  _

_ ~“Not going to. It’s what I already am doing. I’m going to hit the emergency override when everyone goes to sleep tonight. Everyone will be strapped in and the emergency cryo chambers will come out and everyone is going to get into one because they already think we’re going to be attacked. They’ll expect it and just go along. I’ve loaded the chambers with memory gas, so this whole day will be gone from everyone’s memories and it’ll give me enough time to fix the stupid system. Then I’ll just have to convince everyone that it was just a glitch. No one gets hurt and I still get to be captain. It’s foolproof.” _ She was starting to sound like an absolute nutcase to everyone on the bridge. Lyda was in shock, eyes glued to the monitor.

_ ~“I’m going to tell them, Vanessa.” _ She got up and made a move to bolt out the door, only for Vanessa to shove a needle into her neck and quickly depress the plunger. Marnie’s body went limp and dropped heavily to the floor. Lyda’s mouth fell open. 

“She needs to be contained before she hurts someone else.” Lyda commanded, sending the room into action. 

Javian swiveled back to his screens, Jora and Thwarta followed suit, finding their own stations and readying themselves. On Javians screen, Vanessa was exiting the infirmary and 

heading back towards the bridge. She’d have to come up two floors to get to them. Luckily, they had the spring on her. 

“Thwarta.”

“Yes ma’am,”

“Can you activate the enforcer bots?” 

_ “Enforcer bots?” _ She rose a well manicured brow.

“Oh my god, she trained you so you don’t know about the enforcer bots. Okay.” She strode over, placing her hand on Thwarta’s screen. 

“Do You Wish To Reassign Third Tier Command Position, Captain?” The computer asked in a genderless voice. 

“Yes, Reassign to Leader Eryk Vealmay.” Lyda responded, looking down to Thwarta. “I’m sorry, but you know why I need to do this.” Thwarta nodded and put on a sad smile. If she proved her loyalties, it would serve her well. She moved to reassign Jora’s to Ymarah, and Javian’s to Lane, Vanessa’s with Darmah, and Marnie’s position wasn’t yet compromised, as she was their healer and spent most of her time in the infirmary. They took it as well as they could and vacated the bridge, going to move into their new rooms until they received their reassignments. By the time Vanessa arrived at the bridge, Lyda’s new crew had assembled and readied themselves. 

Vanessa pressed her hand on the panel just outside of the door and it buzzed, “Access Denied, Authorized Personnel Only.” She tried thrice more before giving up and just pounding on the door. “What is this?!” She yelled, though they only knew what she said because of the camera outside of the door. The door itself was meant to withstand a nuclear blast. She looked up at the camera and glared. “Javian, let me in, stop fooling around, we have a lot to do!” 

Lane pressed his return call button and spoke, “Javian isn’t here, Vanessa. He’s been reassigned, and so have you.” He smirked at the screen, watching her anger well higher. She pounded on the door relentlessly, throwing a very toddler-esque tantrum. 

“You can’t do this…” She said through a sob, still pounding away. Gone was her polished exterior, as well as any sort of respect Lyda had ever had for her. Darmah pressed a button on her console. The wall behind Vanessa parted for an armoured, intimidating enforcer bot to hover out of its secret hiding place. She would go back into cryo sleep, in an unfamiliar chamber, until after they landed. She would cause no more trouble. But first, Lyda wanted to talk to her. She spoke to the enforcer bot that had wrangled the heavily sobbing Vanessa. 

“Take her to the infirmary and secure her to a chair. Stay on guard awaiting my orders.” Her handling of the situation was going far better than she could have expected. Her crew fell right into place, it was as though her being made Captain might have been a  _ decent  _ decision, after all. The bot responded an affirmative. 

When she arrived in the infirmary with Eryk- they had decided she shouldn’t go alone, on the off chance Vanessa was smarter than they assumed- or an idiot, depending on the way you looked at it and tried to get away. They were a match in hand to hand combat, so it was smart to bring back up. Vanessa was snuggly contained, strapped thoroughly into a chair meant for surgery. She tried to spit at them as they walked in but had no luck landing it. 

Lyda just looked at the woman, crazed, face red from tears and rage, and shook her head. She’d thought them friends. “Why did you lie to your crew?” Lyda pushed, but left no time for her to answer, opening into a barrage, “Why did you keep them from properly training? Why did you send them to sleep after a year? Were you planning to …..usurp me, before I was even aware?” 

“I should have won.” She spat. “You didn’t even know until today and you were fine just being a leader. It was all fine. I wanted to be captain. I’m a good captain! You don’t deserve it!” She was absolutely losing it. She pulled against her restraints. 

“You would sabotage an entire mission because you wanted to be captain?” Eryk asked her.

“I would do whatever I needed to do!” She yelled through gritted teeth. 

“So you’re admitting to full on mutiny?” Lyda asked as a cold chill passed down her spine. 

“I-What? N-no, I didn’t commit  _ mutiny _ !” Her rage started to fade.

“In training, they said that mutineers should be  _ shoved out of the airlock _ , posthaste.” Eryk interjected, “ _ For the betterment of the human race _ .” 

“But I  _ didn’t _ commit mutiny…” her voice grew quiet and she stopped fighting. 

Lyda put her hands on her hips, trying to look authoritative. “You stopped your crew from proper training and incapacitated Marnie.” She glared down at her. 

“I just didn’t tell them  _ everything _ …” Vanessa’s tears flowed freely as the realization began to hit her. 

“After I watched you inject Marnie, I told Thwarta to activate the Enforcer bots and she  _ didn’t even know what they were, _ Vanessa. How would they even  _ try _ to protect you as Captain if they don’t know all of the ship’s operations?”

“I would...have...have figured it out…” she sobbed. 

“Were you alone in this?” Lyda prodded, utterly furious.

Her eyes grew wide but she said nothing.

“Who was it?” Lyda growled. 

“I’ll be the one with the power when this is all over.” Vanessa smiled. 

Lyda glared and clenched her fist. “Nope, you’re going to talk, then you’re going to be put back under until shortly after we land. Then you’ll go into T’sari custody. I have to talk to Prince Vyrik and it hasn’t even been a day! Who the  _ fuck  _ was helping you- you obviously aren’t  _ intelligent enough _ to handle this on your own.”

“I don’t have to tell you a fucking thing. They’re going to shoot you out of the sky without my help. Why should I help you- I’d rather be  _ dead _ than go to prison.” She spat.

“You’d rather kill off what could end up being the last of the human race? You’d betray everything we’ve worked for?” Lyda glared down at her, finding something less than human in the eyes that looked back. She didn’t respond.

“All of this so you could be captain? Hundreds of lives?”

She kept her mouth sealed. Rage seethed in Lyda’s stomach. 

“Eryk,” she looked over to him, taking a very deep breath in an attempt to calm herself. “If I send Javian down to help, can you two get her into a cell and put her out?” 

He nodded, “We can do it, but I think your hand has to be the one to put her under.” 

She sighed in acknowledgement, he was right. She had to be the Captain she was supposed to be. “Alright, I’ll call Javian and we can do this.”

Javian showed up a few minutes later and showed Eryk and Lyda how to turn the gravity of any area down so that it made moving heavy equipment easier, enabling them to lift Vanessa’s deadweight off of the chair. She didn’t fight them, but she also wasn’t helping. It took a bit longer than Lyda would have liked, but they managed to wrestle her into a pod at the bottom of the pod chamber. The mesh closed over her body and she looked up at Lyda as the doors were closing and smiled sickeningly. 

Lyda made her way back up, past the bridge and up to the observatory- her private quarters. She sat in the plush captain’s chair and sent a call to Prince Vyrik. His face quickly popped into view, filling most of the screen with his upper torso and head. 

“So soon, captain?” He said, the smile evident in his voice...did he think she’d called to flirt with him?

“I-uh...It’s not what you think...I just had to put Vanessa back into stasis…”

“Oh...What happened?” His smile faded into concern. 

She told him what had transpired in the last two hours, and of the news that Vanessa had shared as she was being put under. 

“How could she know that? Has she been cavorting with The Gray? Should you not wake her and interrogate her further?” Concern had become worry.

“How do I know she didn’t say it just so I’d do that? She obviously doesn’t have any loyalties with me or  _ anyone _ , even her own crew. I don’t feel like I can trust her and I don’t want to risk anyone else. Marnie still hasn’t woken up from whatever she was injected with. Eryk said it was a low grade of poison and he doesn’t even know where she could have gotten it. It’s not anything he knows, which tells me it was likely something  _ not  _ from Earth. Is there a possibility that The Gray were working with her to achieve something?” 

“Perhaps. I’m not sure what they would have gained from her captain-hood other than your peoples’ weakness. Though, thinking on it now, I realize that the weakness would likely give them a better opportunity to strike you down. You’ll have my fleet’s full support in the air as you come in. Perhaps we should change the time you land, to throw off the enemy? I know it isn’t exactly the most amazing idea, but what other options have you? Are there any other spies among Vanessa’s crew? You may be better off putting them  _ all  _ back under.”

“If I put them all back under, who will help reorient the  _ 320 colony members _ ? That isn’t a job for five people. Hell, I’m not even sure how we were meant to do it with ten.” 

“I will send you some of my people to help. I’ll send three scientists and three healers- will that suffice?” 

She nodded. That was one more than they would lose. If the enemy had meant to lower their numbers, ensuing chaos when authority grew weak, they’d have another thing coming. “That should do. I appreciate it more than you know, sir.” 

“I have faith in your leadership, Captain Lydaleigh. I know we’ve only just met, but I can see why your people chose you. You’ve got a cool head about you, even as young as you are.”

“I have done better than I thought I could do. I just kept my head up. I had to. You don’t just tell everyone no when they put you in this position.” she sighed. Prince Vyrik was proving to be quite likeable. Sending help wasn’t at all necessary, but it could be argued that their landing in one piece benefited him, as he’d become so invested in her people’s survival. 

“I’ll send my people in one week, that should give you time to get them prepared. I had worried about you needing more people to assist, so I’ve already enlisted the help. I know all six of these individuals personally, and quite honestly I would trust them with my life, if the need arose.” He said, his tone rich with severity. 

“That sounds good. I need to reconvene with my people now. I owe you, Sir, thank you.” She saluted him once more, switching off the screen. 

  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  



	6. V3: Royal Panic

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Vyrik's to-do list only seems to be growing longer and longer, and he finds himself at wit's end with everyone who isn't a red-haired ship captain.

“You owe me nothing-” He started to say, as his screen went dark. ‘Oh well’ he thought. 

He pressed a call button nearby, summoning one of his many staff to his aid. 

“You called, prince?” His most trusted assistant, Hettie, poked her round nose through the doorway, showing only her head and right shoulder to him. 

“Hettie, dear, I need you to fetch General Wei for me, please. Tell him it is urgent.” 

She nodded and scuttled away, and sh ortly after he could no longer hear her shoes clicking on the stone floor, General Wei knocked on the open door of his office. 

“Come in, please, shut the door behind you and have a seat.” He ushered towards the chairs on the other side of the room- two comfortable, modern armchairs- and joined him. When they were both seated, he brought up what he’d just discussed with Captain Lydaleigh.

“We must move the landing date forward, sir. It is imperative.” General Wei’s normally stalwart features had been clouded by stress. 

“I agree. I have already arranged to send three of my personal healers and three of our best scientists to help them. I’ll tell her we need to move the date forward a month at least. She has a lot to do today, I’ll call her tomorrow after things have hopefully settled down.” Wei nodded. 

“You seem quite besotted with the Captain, sir, if you don’t mind my saying.” He prodded, smiling. They had been friends for years, there were no unspeakable subjects between them- it was how they preferred it. True friends were honest with you all of the time. 

“I am not  _ besotted _ , I’m simply intrigued- It has been  _ a single day, _ Ormyn. I’d never met a human before, now I’ve met seven of them. Nothing more than that, Ormyn. I’ve got too much to do to focus on...fancy- we may soon be at war. I never thought I’d be a leader amidst  _ a war _ …” He put his head in his hands and sighed. Things might only get more difficult from here. He was one of the youngest to ever lead the T’sari and now he might be leading them to war...No- this was in no way his fault. The humans sought asylum from a dead world. They would have nothing to go back to if they couldn't come here. He would be sentencing over 300 to death if he turned back now.

Their meeting concluded and they made their way out of Vyrik’s office. He’d been ignorant to schedule a meeting with the humans on the same day as an important press conference to discuss the growing tensions between the kingdoms of Gray and Gold. It could not be rescheduled. The media waited in the ballroom on bated breath, to hear what Grand Prince Vyrik of House Cresthold had to say about The Gray. He could hear the cacophony of voices before he reached the double doors. 

He walked out onto the raised dais and took a seat on his throne. Well. It  _ would _ be his throne when his father passed on to elderhood- just a few moons, now. The reporter’s cameras hovered, at least twenty floating spheres circling just a few feet from him. They needed good shots, money shots. Some would paint him negatively, but if he did this right, the majority would still side with him. 

General Wei had accompanied him to the dais, standing just to the side, hand propped gingerly on the hilt of his weapon. He raised his other hand in the air, signaling silence. 

“You may start the conference.”

“Grand Prince Vyrik!” One female reporter shouted, “Do The Gray wish ill of the humans?”

“Yes, I believe they do. I’ve just received word that, just as we’ve feared, The Gray intend to strike the human’s down, out of _ fear. _ The fear the humans will make us ill, and I’ve  _ no idea why. _ Just this day I have had council with the human leaders and am no worse for wear. In fact, I come back to say that we have n _ othing at all  _ to fear. They seek asylum. They bring no weapons,” Okay so that wasn’t true, but the public needed to be in favor of the landing at all costs, “They need our  _ protection _ . The Grays’ madness has only tainted them further as a people. We must  _ help _ these people. They ARE people, mind you. Their features are not so dissimilar from our own. Perhaps our Gods once knew each other, in the time Before.”

“Grand Prince,” Another shouted, a male this time, “Do The Gray have a Missile?”

He frowned, “Not as far as we are aware.” The public would speak ill of this lie, but he knew there were spies among his people and he need not be ignorant of it and divulge any unnecessary truths. Now the enemy would think they had the upper hand- hopefully. 

“Grand Prince, If they have a projectile, are we prepared to handle it?” A faceless voice shouted above the crowd. 

“More than I am allowed to say.” He nodded. 

“Grand prince,” another woman, quite short for a T’sari… “What if the humans are lying to us?” 

He shook his head. “No, General Wei has the gift of true sight, they cannot lie to him without his knowing.”

The same woman spoke again- not fair play for the other reporters. “How do you know  _ General Wei  _ speaks only the truth?” A sly smile crept over her lips. 

Vyrik jumped to his feet, “You dare speak ill of my highest ranked officer?” He glowered down at the strange woman. 

“No sir,” Her smile only betrayed her as she feigned innocence. “I only desire  _ the truth. _ How sure are you that your general,” She hooked her chin towards him, “speaks only the truth to you?” 

He heard Wei stiffen behind him- he wasn’t often the victim of this sort of thing. “I trust General Ormyn Wei  _ with my life. _ And with that, we will conclude this press conference. I care not if your questions have gone unanswered- blame this one.” He pointed at the woman before unceremoniously exiting the room. He might pay dearly for that one. He did enjoy the jeering that he heard towards the reporter woman. What had she said her name was, and for which publication? He wasn’t sure she had…

Later that day, right as afternoon had begun its transition into evening, Vyrik found himself sipping on a strong euphoric- a habit he’d picked up from his father nigh a decade ago. He was restless of the humans’ arrival. It would be a stressful thing, their integration. There were a handful among his people who thought ill of the humans’ arrival. They could all defect to The Gray for all he cared at this point. He was invested in this. His body began to buzz just as the sun slipped past the horizon and the stars came into view. He swirled the crystalline liquid in its’ glass, admiring it’s hue. The green made him happy, he wasn’t sure why. It wasn’t the liquid itself, but the color...it felt  _ right _ for some reason. 

He sat in his reclining chair, leaned all the way back with his hair thrown all to one side, holding the clear glass full of green liquid above his head, swirling it. He let it go, holding it only with his magics, moving it so that the liquid continued to spin. To say he was entranced would have been and understatement. He didn’t hear the knock on the door. Hettie’s slender hand wrapped around the glass and pulled it gently from its place in the air, setting it on a nearby table. The noise Vyrik let out was far from kingly or authoritative. He jumped right up, nearly catapulting himself out of his chair. 

“Gods above, Hettie, I just felt my soul leave my body.” 

“I did knock, sir.” she smiled sweetly, with just a touch of mischief in her voice. 

“I suppose my mind was elsewhere. My apologies. What brings you?” He wiped the sweat from his brow. 

“I only came to tell you that your father beckons you to eat with him.”

“What’s on the table this evening?”

“Nothing you like, sir. He seems upset.”

“Do you think I’d ever wake up again if I just jumped out that window, Hettie?” He gestured to the ornate, fifth story window across the room, half laughing, half whining. Hettie had practically raised him. He could be himself around her. 

“Shall I tell him you’re off to bed?” She smiled at him. 

“If you would. I think I’ll take a bath and do just that. I’ve had enough excitement for one day, thanks.”

“If it’s any consolation, I think you made the right choices today. He will, too, once he gets past his gruff bit over your storming out. He does  _ love _ to please the masses.” She smiled up at him as he was now standing. 

She came just to his nose. Her green hair fell in feathery waves around her face as it was coming loose from it’s bun. She looked no older than he, though she’d been alive at least three thousand years. Her wisdom was outmatched, in his eyes. His own mother had been slaughtered by The Gray shortly after his birth, in some dispute, somewhere between the two kingdoms borders. The land was ungoverned, so she’d gotten no justice. She was buried under the biggest tree on their land, in the gardens, with a memorial stone carved in her likeness. Hettie had filled in where his mother might have been had her soul not been severed. She reached up and patted him on the head before she turned and left to deliver her only-slightly-false information. 

His bathroom was quite large, with a separate, smaller room housing the latrine, a bathtub the size of a private pool, and a shower that could fit ten people, if he so desired. The tub steamed with water from a natural hot spring. All of the faucets gleamed white gold, all of the stone had veins of metal. The lights were dimmed and candles lit to reduce stress and encourage relaxation. 

The water felt intoxicating, melting his tensions away as he slipped in up to his neck. He floated on the surface for what felt like hours before he finished washing up and decided to get out. The night had grown thick whilst he bathed and his bed had begun to call to him. Though tonight, it felt more empty than it had in a long time. He usually had no troubles sleeping alone, but tonight he found himself seeking companionship. He shook his head, chuckling sadly to himself and dressed for bed. He slid under his covers and sleep pulled him in, only moments after his head hit the pillow. 

_ Vyrik opened his eyes to a find himself sitting upright in the middle of a meadow. The blueish grass swayed around him as a warm breeze played across the skin of his bare back and chest. The sky was an ombre of purple and red, fading in and out. He wasn’t alone.  _

_ He looked down to find a head in his lap. She was asleep, lying on her side, her red hair splayed out around her head like fire. She looked so peaceful. They were on a soft green blanket. The same green as his drink that evening. Impulsively, he brushed some of her hair away from her face. Her skin was warm. She sighed as his fingertips brushed the hair behind her ear. She sat up, then, smiling, and stretched, yawing awake. Her eyes were that same shade of green. _

_ “Did you sleep well” He asked her, smiling.  _

_ She nodded happily before turning and wrapping her arms around him, pressing her head into his chest. His pulse sped up. He wrapped his arms around her and it felt like home more than anything ever had.  _

He awoke, panting, in the wee hours of the morning. He was drenched in sweat and all of the tension he’d worked to release had found its’ way back into him. The clock on the wall said it was 4 in the morning. He turned over and tried to claw his way back to sleep, only to realize he was too worried to. He wondered if she’d managed to get the other questionable crew members into stasis without problem. He wondered if she’d had a good meal that evening, as he knew she’d hardly touched her morning meal. She would need nutrients to stay strong and be a good leader for her people. He asked himself if she’d be awake yet. He wanted to talk to her. 

Without much thought, Vyrik found himself in front of his screens, placing a call out to the Avalon ZC. Within moments, he was met with her bright eyed smile and he forgot everything else.

“Hello Prince Vyrik- oh wow, are you alright?” Her smile had dropped just a touch and she looked worried. He took a moment to look at himself, sitting in his office, making a supposedly  _ diplomatic _ call-without a shirt on. His hair was likely a wreck as well. This had been a terrible mistake. What would she think? Quickly, he grabbed a brush from a nearby drawer and ran it through his locks, hopeful that he’d managed to look presentable. 

“I- uh- I’m fine, I, I just wanted to check on you. How did it go...with the...with the stasis...thing.” Where had his formalities gone? His pulse raced. 

“Oh,” she chuckled, “It went okay. HayVien put up a bit of a...fight,” She turned her face slightly and he could see a purplish bruise above her eyebrow. He inhaled sharply, feeling a small bubble of rage forming in his center.

He must have made an alarming noise. “What?” She said, looking confused.. He touched his own head where her bruise was. She brushed her fingers over the bruise and winced. “ Oh, that. No he didn’t do that, it wasn’t that kind of fight.” she made a wide gesture with her arms, “ He cursed at me a couple of times but he agreed to go down in the end. He’s very...strong willed, I suppose you could say.” He nodded and felt some of the anger seep away. 

“If he didn’t wound you, who is to blame?” His voice rang with concerned severity. 

She laughed heartily, “I did it to myself.” 

He shook his head, “What?” 

“I uh...I hit my head coming up the ladder after we put the three of them back into stasis. Right on the corner of the step. I tripped over literally nothing and hit my head. I’m fine, just bruised.” She said through laughter. It was mildly contagious. 

“Why is your pain funny?” He chuckled. 

“It’s not. The circumstance in which I acquired the bruise is, though.”

“It is mildly amusing, yes.”

“So you just wanted to make sure I was okay?” She cocked her brow.

“I-uh, yes. I was ...worried.” He dropped his gaze to the floor. 

“Well I’m fine. No need to worry, I promise.” She kept smiling at him. The warmth of the sun seemed to emanate from her face. The light in the room seemed to change. 

“Um...Vyrik…” She’d not used his title...it was odd, but he enjoyed the way it sounded coming from her- He quite liked the way she said his name... 

“Yes?” He smiled at her wistfully. 

“You’re glowing.” She said, confused. 

“Wha- I-” he looked down at himself. He was indeed glowing. “Oh...Oh fuck…” He said, feeling his stomach drop out. “I-I’m glad you’re okay. I-I need to go now.”

“I-uh- okay, alright, bye.” She smiled nervously and waved before the screen went black. He continued to glow. His pale skin shimmered like an opal in the sun. It was neither normal, nor abnormal. 

Right as he turned to leave, wanting to hide this from any prying eyes, there was a knock at the door. He begrudgingly opened it, seeing no other option. There, in the doorway, stood the  _ last  _ person he wanted to see- His father. 

Still in his night clothes, Vyrik sat in his office chair, facing his father, who was grinning from ear to ear. 

“I glowed like that when I met your mother.” He chuckled dryly. “I looked like a winter’s festival light display.” 

“Yes, but mother glowed too, did she not?” He sighed. 

“Absolutely. Brighter than anything I’ve ever seen, but I looked upon her regardless.”

“Mine did _ not _ glow. She  _ can not  _ glow.” He sighed, weight filling his chest. 

“She’s not ...is she of The Gray, son?” The color drained from his face. 

Vyrik shook his head. “ _ Absolutely  _ not. No. She’s not even from this _planet_…”

“The high Gods have chosen a human for you?” His eyes widened. 

“How am I to tell if she is right? Humans do not glow.” he shook his head, the sadness of it all itching towards overwhelming. 

“Do you think it was your mother’s glow that drew me to her?” His father scoffed. 

“Was it not? Is that not how you tell?” he asked despairingly. 

“It is only a side effect, my son. I knew it was her because she felt like home. Does this woman feel like home to you?” 

“I have met her only  _ once, _ for a couple of  _ hours _ , how am I to glean this from such a short time?” 

“Who was it in the  _ dream _ , then?” 

“How did you know about my dream?” He rose his brow.

“It is the way. Was it her?”

“Yes...It was unlike I’ve ever felt… but Humans do not have that. What if she rejects me, what will happen?” He could almost feel his heart rip in two. His soul mate  _ would _ be from another planet, _of course_, it made perfect sense. 


	7. L4: A Coffee Pot Overflowing

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Lyda's stress threatens to consume her, but caffeine may yet save the day.

Lyda had less trouble putting the other crew members to sleep than she thought she would. She’d told herself she wouldn't waste more than a few hours on their fighting and had steeled herself to the idea that they might have to be incapacitated beforehand- not an idea she was excited to live out. Javian was the hardest, he went last. 

“ _ Lyda, please, I would never knowingly betray you like that- we’ve been best friends for as long as I can remember. Please...I don’t want to go back under… _ ”

He’d begged her, his eyes glassy with unshed tears. Her heart ached. If she’d ever had a crush on anyone, it was him, but she absolutely would never tell him. He used women as toys, and she would be _ no one’s _ toy. She had to remain stalwart, no matter how much she wanted to crumble. 

“ _ Javian, I have no choice- as much as I might believe you, or trust you, you know why I have to do this. I don’t think anything bad will come of this as long as we can 100% prove that this is all Vanessa, okay? None of us think that any of you are guilty.” _

She tried to keep her voice neutral. 

His eyes transitioned into a glare.

_“If you know that we’re innocent- which you should- then why put us back under? Hell, she fucking attacked Marnie- she may even have killed her, you saw their conversation with the rest of us!” _

_ “Don’t shout at me, damn it, Javian! You, of all people, should know why I have to do this. And if you are completely innocent, it shouldn’t even bother you- you putting up a fight only makes you look suspicious.” _

_ “I-” _

_ _ He balled his fists and took a deep breath.

_ “I’m sorry, okay. You- you’re right. You’re right...but if you’re gonna make me go back under, then I need to….I-” _

He leaned forward, kissing her on the lips, not forcefully, but not lightly either. She didn’t know how to react. 

She pushed him away.

_ “Javian!” _

_ _ She’d glared at him,

“ _ That was extremely inappropriate! Get the fuck in the pod. Now.” _

She clenched her teeth, pointing at the cryo chamber. He sighed and did as he was told, finally. 

Before she closed the door she spoke one last time. _ _

_ “Nice try- I know how you are with women, we’re just _ friends _ and I intend to  _ keep it that  _ way unless you want to try that  _ shit  _ again.”  _

He didn’t respond so she sealed him away.

She guilted herself through her quiet dinner with what remained of her crew- they’d all agreed that she shouldn’t have to take ALL of her meals by herself. She felt it would have been easier on her if they’d all have fought her and made themselves look suspicious, but everyone seemed to really understand and they resoundingly trusted in her judgement. She vowed to make sure that they all stayed safe. Meanwhile, she did take notice of Eryk and Darmah spending a lot of time around each other. Not so much that it seemed to interfere with anything important, but enough to arouse her suspicions. She silently encouraged their bonding as long as they could still work together professionally- just because she couldn’t have a bit of romance didn’t mean that they couldn’t. Sure, it was against policy, but it was her policy and with all that had happened, as long as they weren’t blatant, she’d let it slide- it was the least of her worries. 

After dinner, she retired, alone, to her quarters and fussed about, trying to distract herself before she went to bed. It didn’t take long for the exhaustion to hit. Through all the fuss, she’d not really paid much attention to her bedroom, as she’d quickly realized that her quarters were basically what amounted to an expensive apartment, in space. She had a fully stocked kitchen and private bathroom, her own workout space and computer setup for the entire ship, and she’d not soon forget the aforementioned observatory. It was like some crazy dream she’d just stepped into. Her bedroom door whooshed open in front of her. There was a queen size bed in the middle of the room, against the wall. The layout was as it had been in the blueprints she’d seen prior to boarding, but to see it in person was quite different. 

The room was tasteful and felt homey. She remembered wanting something like this when she lived at the academy. There were plants on either side of her bed, artful wall sconces above them, and in place of where one might have hung wall art, there were framed blueprints and a picture of herself and her friends that a teacher had taken when they’d all gone on a trip to see The Sunken Rocky Mountains. It was strange to realize that it had been more than a decade ago, though she recalled it like it was yesterday. 

After getting comfortable and climbing into her bed, she had yet another realization- everything in her new room had been in her room back on Earth. It made her feel far more comfortable in this new environment, and it surely helped her fall more swiftly to sleep. 

She dreamt of Vyrik- though not as Grand Prince-just  _ Vyrik _ , she felt he was without his title here, for some reason. She found herself cradled in his lap, laid out on a blanket the same steely blue as his eyes. He gazed down at her fondly, brushing her wild hair away from her face. They exchanged idle banter for a moment, before she instinctively crawled into his arms. She felt safety and calmness, cradled against him, even more so when he wrapped his arms around her. 

When morning arrived in the form of a buzzing alarm, Lyda felt heavy with sleep. She knew it was part of the long term stasis’ effect on her body. She’d been frozen in a dreamless state for nearly a decade- it wasn’t something you could just spring right out of. It would leave her feeling ‘jet-lagged’ for a few days, possibly even weeks. It wasn’t anything a little caffeine couldn’t help, though. She got up, threw her hair into a bun just to get it out of the way, and started boiling water for a cup of actual coffee. Everyone else wanted to drink the instant stuff except for on special occasions, but she felt that being in space with a colony to take care of was important enough to warrant it. As the old fashioned kettle began to whistle on the electric stove top, an air screen appeared, signaling a request for none other the object of her very recent dreams, asking to connect via video call. She knew the blush was unavoidable and decided she’d just roll with it, answering the call. She’d never dreamt of anyone before, at least not like  _ that.  _

He stood there, bare chested, looking a touch frazzled. She wondered if he’d just rolled out of bed. He shut her down after she expressed her worries and informed her he’d just been worried for her while he stepped out of frame to...brush his hair? She did quite like the way it caught the light. She began to notice his angular features and the way he was looking at her, like she was the only thing to ever exist and the only thing he ever wanted to see- or maybe she was projecting her own feelings. Her skin felt hot. She could hear herself responding to everything he was saying, but it didn’t mean anything until he started to _ glow. _ His skin gleamed opalescent. When it was brought to his attention, he quickly disconnected. She wasn’t sure what it meant, but found it disconcerting, nonetheless. 

After scarfing down a small breakfast and the first half of a pot of coffee, Lyda threw on a long sleeved sweater and well tailored pants, as well as some boots, looking a bit more militant than she’d intended. She did her best to find some sort of peace as she finished her coffee. Mug in hand, she headed to the bridge.

With Vanessa and the skeleton crew in stasis until landing day, there were no more high stakes variables that she felt she needed to contend with. Diagnostics all came up fantastic, shields were fully functional, escape pods prepped for the unforeseen, and everyone was briefed on the current situation. The day passed much more quickly than she had anticipated, before she realized, an air screen popped up in front of her signaling her to begin her end of day routine. She wished she’d had it back on Earth, as it could have saved her many unnecessarily late nights in the library. She signaled the screen away and pulled the ship's systems up one more time, checking everything over before she ran off to bathe away the sweat from her first full day as Captain. 

When she stepped into her private bathroom for the first time- she’d been using the other toilets around the ship all day- she realized how  _ nice _ she had it. She could harbor another person in her quarters if she wanted to. It would be a bit _ intimate, _ but there was room. She was fairly certain that she had the only actual bath tub on the ship- likely due to the  _ sligh _ t possibility of an influx in gravity causing some poor soul to  _ drown _ . She still appreciated the luxury and acknowledged the risk as she dipped her toes into the steaming water of the large capsule-bathtub. Once she had the water at the temperature she wanted, she sunk in all the way up to her chest. 

After her long bath, she paced around her quarters in her towel, thinking and not thinking. She’d relax enough to let her mind wander, only to get upset at its destination, tensing back up, trying to clear her mind all over again. She knew she needed to get some rest, as she still had plenty more work to do the next day. After today, there were no places for slip ups in her itinerary. Vanessa’s little stunt had cost them a lot. She was lucky to have such a good rapport with Vyrik- ‘Grand Prince’ she mentally corrected herself, hoping that the pressure of his title would somehow disassociate him from her and her body’s unnecessary responses. 

She made herself a cup of hot tea and curled up in her captains chair, with a throw blanket, watching the diagnostics running, just as they did every night. 

In that moment, she felt herself missing her friends. She’d not considered how long she’d have to wait before she saw them again. Sure, they would be awake soon, but that didn’t mean she’d have time to see them. She’d anticipated having breakfasts with them, at least, but acknowledged, now, that it would not be that way at all. 

Her days would start early and end late. By the time they landed, she knew she’d be utterly spent. It wasn’t that upsetting to think about, she knew she had her duties, now, and was devoted to her crew and her ship. Not so devoted, though, that she would go down with it, not if she had a way out- that wasn’t a tradition she ever intended to uphold. Humanity’s fixation on material things had always upset her.

Thoughts of exhaustion and the bottom of her cup of tea finally convinced her body that it was time to sleep. With the blanket curled around her and her head propped on an armrest, she fell unconscious.

When the alarm went off the next morning, it sounded oddly distant, like it was coming from another room. When she pulled herself out of her slumber, she realised that she’d fallen asleep in her chair. It had not done her body any good, either. Everything ached, even her eyes. She trudged to her room and swiped through the alarm aggressively, turning it off. She wanted 

so desperately to crawl under the covers and stay there all day long. The day would be long, but she knew that she’d sleep well the following night and looked forward to it. 

She emerged in a pair of lightweight, wide legged turquoise pants and a soft, gray, long sleeved t- shirt, as well as her soft soled shoes. She threw her hair into a tight, high pony. 

Breakfast was indeed, fast, but only to give herself some extra time to enjoy her coffee in quiet solitude. She had three cups- it felt like a three-cup kind of day, maybe even four, depending on how smoothly it went. When she felt as awake as she thought she’d get, she left her room. The next two weeks were stretched out in front of her, dauntingly, mocking her. Two weeks to prepare.


End file.
